foreign exchange
by BlackNeko20
Summary: sue ellen goes overseas for college. it's a dream come true. but someone pulls her back, Charles. the problem? Charles is in a relationship. can she win him over? old piece for dasl's infinite theme list challenge. short chaptered piece. rated t for adult situations.
1. Chapter 1

**Foreign Exchange**

a/n: themes from darkangelsnapelover's infinite arthur theme list challenge. see her profile for more info. her list is on deviantArt [account ss-chrys]. i'll add mine eventually.

this piece of for her collab series, majoring in love. see the community, arthur collab projects, for other pieces. her profile has the info. there are other serieses too. talk to dasl if you have any questions.

rated t for adult situations, some language. nothing big but too much much for k-plus.

 _Chapter One_

theme 116: dream come true

Sue Ellen looked out the plane window. The Pacific Ocean was everywhere. She couldn't blink without seeing blue. She sank into her seat. She couldn't believe this was finally happening. She couldn't believe this was her life.

Sue Ellen did well in high school. She won a scholarship back home but her dream was to go somewhere else. She wanted to go to Japan. She looked at universities there. Her father helped her get into one. Now she was flying there to study. She'd learned the language and everything. This was to be a perfect trip.

The plane landed several hours later. A private driver picked her up. He drove her to a home for American ambassadors. Sue Ellen met the people who lived there. She wasn't the only kid but she was the only college student. They were supportive of her. She felt at home immediately.

But she wanted to keep in touch with her friends. She used the internet to talk to her old classmates. She talked to Arthur, Fern, and Buster. They helped her contact others. Soon she had twenty contacts back home. She'd call them every few days using her webcam. She texted them too and emailed them. Fern even exchanged letters with her. It was nice.

Sue Ellen only called one on the phone. His name was Charles. He moved to Elwood City in seventh grade. He and Sue Ellen didn't meet until high school. She had an English class with him in ninth grade. They did a project together. She had a crush on him. But he was dating Emily, another new student. They'd been together since eighth grade. She never told him she liked him. She still liked him but it was awkward. He didn't talk about Emily so she knew he was single. But she didn't want to tell him long-distance that she liked him. Long-distance relationships were too hard.

Sue Ellen tried to focus on school. Japanese universities were different. It was hard work. She studied hard and made good grades. She even did well in her study of their language. Everyone expected her to see it through, to live out her dream.

But sometimes, dreams change.

a/n: this is a short piece. except all 4 chapters up shortly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

theme 168-crushed!

Sue Ellen enrolled without telling anyone. She flew back home for winter break. She took all her things. She wouldn't be going back to Japan. She wanted to be close to Charles. She applied for his college a few hours north of Elwood City. They accepted her. Her credits tranferred. Everything was worked out.

She didn't tell anyone. She knew they wouldn't understand. Had they ever crushed so hard on a guy? Did they ever want to throw everything away for one dude? She didn't think that way-she wasn't throwing everything away. But she knew it was irrational. Charles was handsome, yes. Charles was a nice guy, yes. Charles thought like her, yes. But would Charles like her back?

Sue Ellen went to the school. It was small. She found him the first day. She almost fainted when she saw him. He looked happy to see her too. He didn't think she was coming back to America. She lied and said she didn't like Japan. Charles was surprised because he thought she loved it there. He shrugged it off. He wanted to talk about a show they watched together.

Halfway through the conversation, Charles had to go to class. Sue Ellen stayed in the cafeteria. She ate breakfast. She thought about where she was, how she got there. Had she made the right choice?

"Hey, Sue Ellen! I thought you were in Japan," Emily squealled. Sue Ellen blushed. Had she been there all along? Was she still with Charles? Sue Ellen talked to her. She hid her shock well, even when she saw the ring. It was on her left hand. It looked like a family heirloom piece, aka real diamonds.

Charles wasn't just with Emily. He had proposed. She said yes. They were engaged!

Sue Ellen felt ill. She lied to Emily. She said she had to go get her books from the bookstore. Emily tried to go with her. Sue Ellen made up a lie. She rushed away. She ran to her dormroom. She crashed on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

Charles was taken. She felt stupid. Why hadn't she asked him? Why hadn't she planned more? She wondered if everything was a mistake.

But her heart was set on Charles. She went out to local restaurants with him and Emily. They studied together. But Sue Ellen had a plan. She'd end up with him. She would make him hers.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

theme 150-flowers

Sue Ellen invited Charles to her dorm. He accepted. He sat with her and watched a movie. After he paid for delivered Chinese food. They ate together. They laughed and smiled. Things got quiet. He brushed a few loose hairs from her face.

"You know, I feel like you came here for me," Charles said. Sue Ellen shrugged, "I don't know. I just needed to come back. This seemed like a good school so I came here." Charles smirked. He caressed her face, "Well, I can't help but think that. You just...you mean a lot to me lately. I wanted that romantic story of mine to be true."

Sue Ellen let the kiss happen. It lasted a few seconds. It felt like a million amazing years. She released, "What if I did come back for you?" she asked. She kissed him again.

Charles released, "I'd really like that. No one has ever done anything that romantic for me. I gave Emily flowers for every date in high school. Suddenly she hates flowers. Nothing I do is enough for her. I think I still love her, but I don't feel the same about her as I do for you. You make my heart leap, my stomach flip. You make me feel alive."

Their encounter was passionate. Clothes littered the room. It felt like a million degrees. It also felt like the best thing that ever happened to her. And Charles looked so happy too.

But he had to leave because of the dorm's rules. The next day, he sent her flowers. Sue Ellen blushed crimson. It lasted a while. She felt like she was on a cloud. She felt happy. And when Emily noticed, she felt devious...but she liked it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

theme 16-personality changes

Sue Ellen and Charles kept up their affair. They hung out with Emily and other friends. They pretended everything was normal. But every few days, he'd come over. They'd hang out. Then they'd roll in the hay. He'd leave and head back home. He shared an apartment with Emily. She might share his apartment but she didn't share his secret.

Months passed. They kept it up. Sue Ellen found herself really falling for Charles. He was so handsome, so good in bed. She didn't want to live life without him. He was perfect.

Spring came. Sue Ellen hung out with the group before finals. Emily was snippy. She kept going off on people for wrong answers. She criticized Charles for poor note-taking. He argued with her. They left early in a screaming match. Everyone wondered what Emily's problem was. Sue Ellen wondered with them but she wondered if she already knew.

After finals were over, Sue Ellen packed her things. She was headed home. She had just finished packing when someone knocked. She opened the door to Emily. She was red-faced. Sue Ellen smelled alcohol. She didn't know how Emily got it. They were both underaged. Sue Ellen tried to ignore it. But she stayed focus. This wasn't good.

"I know everything!" Emily hissed. "I know what you've been doing, what he's been up to. I know it all. How dare you try to hide everything from me! I thought you were my friend. You were really my enemy, you two-faced bitch!"

Emily threw a punch. Her perception was off. She missed by a mile. She was stunned. She looked at her fist before swinging again. She missed again and again. Sue Ellen finally grabbed her. She pushed her to the couch. Emily started to sob.

"I trusted you. I trusted him. I guess I messed up here, but this is on you. You're the slut, and I won't have you ruin my perfect wedding. I don't care what it is, but whatever it takes to make you leave town and never come back, I'll do it. I'll pay you. I'll do whatever it is you want. Just get the fuck out of our lives," Emily hissed.

Sue Ellen mulled it over. She could use some good money. She didn't know where she'd go from here. But money was ubiquitous-it could be everywhere and take you there in luxury. She felt guilty but she let Emily write the check. Twenty thousand dollars were now hers. She just had to decide what to do.

Sue Ellen decided to meet up with Charles. They met at a coffee shop. They sat outside away from everyone. She told him she was leaving. He agreed that was best. Emily was mad at him but things were better between them.

"Why'd you give her up in the first place if you two were so close?" Sue Ellen asked. Charles sighed, "I have an...an addiction, a sexual one. After we got engaged, she cut me off. I did other things for a while, but when you came along and told me you came back for me, something snapped in me. I couldn't have her but you were available, so it happened. It shouldn't have, and it can't again. She said she paid you to leave. I'll match the money. Just go, okay?"

"I'll just leave. What she gave me was enough," Sue Ellen said firmly. Charles shook his head. He wrote a check. It was for ten thousand. Sue Ellen knew that was only half but she remained silent. Charles left. She watched him walk away. She'd never see him again.

Sue Ellen looked out the plane's window. She was surrounded by ocean, this time the Atlantic. She went home with her father. She couldn't transfer back to Japan because her credits wouldn't transfer. She didn't want to redo a semester. France took her classes so she went there. She used the money she got to live a nice life. She met new people, got new friends. But she didn't contact people back home. She posted to social media instead. They followed her. She didn't follow them.

Sue Ellen eventually found love again. She took a while to forget Charles, but she had to forget. He used her. Now she was the slut. Society's standards irritated her. She decided to embrace them. She was sexually active, the life of the party. She still studied and worked hard in school. But she knew how to have fun, so she did. Life got tough sometimes but she powered through. And in the end, she got the life she wanted.

-end


End file.
